This is Thanksgiving in Central Massachusetts!

WHAT: 5K Road Race in Holden MAWHEN: 8 am Thanksgiving morning 2014 (Nov 27)WHERE: Course will begin and end at the Holden Commons (Big Y) parking lot near downtown Holden. The course will include Main St Holden and nearby residential streets.HOW:Registration is closedWHY: The HRR is a Thanksgiving tradition, celebrates athleticism, supports local charities, and fosters community.

The 2014 Holden Road Race was on pace for a record number of registrations until a winter storm warning brought new registrations to a halt the entire week leading up to the race. Registration topped off at 1550 runners and about only 1000 die-hard runners showed up for the 8am start despite the weather complications. The plows ran all night and fortunately on Thanksgiving morning only a little bit of slush remained in the roads. Runners were treated to a White Thanksgiving landscape as they made their way through the hilly Holden course. Spencer Mannion of Brookfield CT was able to lead the pack with a time of 16:37. For the women, Colleen Sands came in first with a time of 19:38. Mary Beth Ryan took the title as Fastest Holden Woman (21:05) and Timothy Wright took the title as Fastest Holden Man (18:42). Other notable runs included the Leary sisters, Deirdre (21:24) and Carly (21:23) who took 8th and 9th places for the women and Phil Dowd (54:31) who represented the “80 and over” category and was the wearer of the number one bib. The race committee would like to thank all of the runners, sponsors and volunteers who make this race possible!